EPA Science Matters Newsletter

Forested watersheds in the Pacific Northwest are largely responsible for the region’s clean water, but they are vulnerable to threats such as diseases, wildfire, pests, and a changing climate. To better understand how forests respond to these threats, EPA has partnered with the US Forest Service to establish a network of monitoring sites in the Coast and Cascade Mountain Ranges of western Oregon. Learn more.

In this research update, EPA is working with partners across 14 states to address environmental challenges. Researchers are also monitoring forested watersheds across the Pacific Northwest to see how they are responding to emerging threats in the region. Finally, EPA and partners installed a permeable pavement parking lot at an elementary school in Fort Riley, Kansas. Learn more.

Identifying the source of soil contaminants is vital to decision-making during an environmental cleanup. That's why EPA scientists partnered with several southeastern states to figure out how urban background contaminants differ from industrial waste at urban sites. Learn more.

EPA researchers are working with partners on the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network, one of the most wide-ranging freshwater monitoring systems in the country. An EPA study, called Smoke Sense, is the first of its kind to use a mobile app to evaluate the health effects from wildland fires. To better understand exposure to and risk from nanomaterials, EPA researchers have developed a new structured approach, or framework, to evaluate the potential risks of nanomaterials. Learn more.

In November 2016, Brownsville, Texas, became the second location in the U.S. to report a locally-acquired case of the Zika virus—a disease spread by mosquitoes that can lead to severe birth defects. EPA researchers are partnering with the Department of Public Health and local universities in Brownsville to identify mosquito hotspots and the factors that lead to the mosquito’s spread. Learn more.

EPA researchers are working with the Nisqually Community Forest (NCF) to improve forest management and help wildlife recover. EPA and partners have launched the Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge to combat nutrient pollution. EPA's Report on the Environment is an interactive resource that shows how the conditions of the environment and human health in the United States are changing over time. The latest update to the ROE includes updated data for 31 indicators. Learn more.

In this research update, EPA collaborated with the technology company, Aclima, on the company’s year-long study that equipped Google Street View cars with a mobile sensing platform to measure local air quality in the city of Oakland, California. EPA is also developing faster and more economical approaches to predict potential health effects of thousands of chemicals. Finally, EPA has announced a request for applications for two grants totaling $4 million in funding for innovative research into detecting and controlling lead in drinking water. Learn more.

EPA scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies for the Lake Michigan Ozone Study--a field study aimed at better understanding ozone chemistry and meteorology along the Wisconsin-Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline using a combination of aircraft, ground-based, and ship-based measurements. Learn more.

EPA scientists and partners have installed the latest Village Green bench at the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science in Houston, Texas. The solar-powered bench was designed by EPA researchers to provide insights into new air monitoring technology and engage the community in their local air quality. Learn more.

EPA scientists and partners are collaborating on the Lake Michigan Ozone Study. Other recent EPA research includes a Community Health Vulnerability Index that can be used to help identify communities at higher health risk from wildfire smoke and research that shows the link between air pollution near roadways and cardiovascular disease.Learn more.

EPA researchers, working with scientists from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, are helping farmers improve the health of the soil and increase crop yields in the Atlantic coastal plain. Adam Nayak, a junior at Cleveland High School in Portland, OR, was this year’s winner of EPA’s Patrick H. Hurd Sustainability Award. And EPA scientists are filling in missing pieces of the puzzle on chemical exposure. Learn more.

EPA scientists and partners are using EnviroAtlas to model recent land cover changes in Minnesota to understand how projected changes could affect future water quality and associated treatment costs. Learn more.

EPA researchers and partners are teaming up to respond when disaster strikes. Researchers have also been examining how the hormone estrone affects male fish, and how to reduce the effects of roadway air pollution. Learn more.

EPA researchers and a host of partners have been working to restore the St. Louis River estuary and help local communities reap the full benefits of a clean, healthy environment. Their work is already making improvements in water quality. Learn more.

In this research update, EPA researchers find associations between poor environmental quality and cancer; help scientists monitor and track algal blooms; EPA grantees investigate the links between community stressors and asthma; and EPA's M-Wiz app helps you navigate the world of materials management. Learn more.

EPA researchers are creating an energy and water technology tool - called the Community-Scale MARKAL Model - to help cities and other municipalities make decisions on how to protect the environment, while also providing energy required for water services. Learn more.

In this research update, EPA researchers are conducting studies to better understand the links between Puerto Rico’s coral reefs; sampling streams across the United States for chemical contaminants; partnering with Clean Air Carolina in Charlotte, N.C., and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, N.C., to conduct citizen science air quality projects; and looking at how to increase the streams’ ability to adapt to theses excess nutrients. Learn more.

EPA established the East Fork Watershed Cooperative—a group of scientists, engineers, economists, and water resource professionals from a variety of organizations—to find the best ways to improve water quality in the East Fork of the Little Miami River Watershed in Ohio. Learn more.

In this research update, EPA kicked off pilot program enabling select beekeepers to submit hive health reports and honey samples to EPA for analysis; announced a Wildland Fire Sensors Challenge; used NASA satellite data to measure changes in water availability; evaluated the benefits of green infrastructure; and publicly released the first external review draft of the Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and Particulate Matter-Ecological Criteria. Learn more.

Living close to roadways can pose health risks related to pollution from traffic. EPA researchers are looking at ways to mitigate these risks, including placing vegetation barriers along roads to reduce pollution. Learn more.

In this research update, EPA researchers are working to detect blue-green algae in the Ohio River; examining how killfish adapt to unlikely environments; and preparing to respond to natural and man-made disasters. Learn more.

Harmful algal blooms are a concern for all water managers, but can be a particularly tough issue to tackle for small systems managers. Responding to these blooms in a timely and efficient manner can make all of the difference in the treatment process. Learn more.(Posted October 27, 2016)

Through EPA's Net Zero Initiative, EPA is supporting campus-community partnerships. These partnerships help cities and communities leverage the skills and expertise of local universities to improve sustainability, the health of community members, and the environment. Read more.(Posted October 13, 2016)

Researchers with EPA’s Net Zero Program are working with the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas Unified School District 475, and others to test and demonstrate green infrastructure technology, such as permeable pavement, at Fort Riley in Kansas. Read more.(Posted June 24, 2016)

Researchers funded by EPA’s STAR grant program at the University of Washington found a direct link between air pollution and atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of plaque in the coronary artery that can affect heart health.Read more.(Posted June 10, 2016)

EPA researchers are using new technology to improve computational exposure science, which helps create a more complete picture of how and in what amounts chemicals enter our bodies.Learn more.(Posted May 17, 2016)

Every year in the US, approximately 133 billion pounds of food is wasted. EPA’s Net Zero Initiative is working with communities in Columbia, South Carolina, including military base Fort Jackson, to evaluate ways to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills.Learn more.(Posted April 22, 2016)

Coastal waters are essential to industry, tourism, recreation, and the lifecycle of various species. This is why it’s so important to monitor these waters for potentially harmful trends and to identify areas in good condition.Learn how EPA scientists assess our coastal waters.(Posted April 19, 2016)